7.30.2008

Book Things

-- I had a fantastic time at Fuse #8’s KidLit Drink Night last night; in fact, I might chalk it up as the best one yet (for me, anyway). I spent a good chunk of time with Betsy and her husband Matt (who is just wicked smart), but I also was able to yell across the table to Heather Scott (who so understands my food obsession and recommended What to Drink with What You Eat to me). We also had the pleasure of chatting with authors Marie Rutkoski (The Cabinet of Wonders) and Donna Freitas (The Possibilities of Sainthood): their books are releasing on Tuesday, August 5th. One of the coolest parts of the evening for me? Seeing the Sony Reader and Amazon Kindle up close and personal, which I had not yet had the opportunity to do. I had shunned both devices, preferring to read a “real” book on the subway. Nevertheless, I’m swooning over the idea of traveling with one of these devices. No more books left in the seat pocket in front of me! No more bringing 5 books in my carry-on…only to discover I’m not in the mood for any of them! No more sore shoulders! No more sore back!

I’m breathing a huge sigh of relief. Clearly, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is not going to go all Entertainment-Weekly-hideous-Twilight on me:

-- I’m reading The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli right now. It’s taken me an age to get through it because I’m just savoring it; it’s one of those books. But this morning I read this lush passage and had to share it since this is also a food blog:

I rush downstairs and heat up the sauce I made this morning. It’s oxtail ground up with so much rosemary you can’t tell meat from herb. Vinegar and honey tease the tongue together…The smell is exquisite. I boil long, thick strands of pasta to serve it over. There will only be two dishes. The other is biancomangiare: pancreas and thymus in a chicken broth enriched with egg yolk, Vinsanto wine, almond paste, milk, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, and clove.

I’m guessing that Napoli did her research about the authenticity of this dish, and it just sounds sumptuous.

-- We did some talking about Twilight at KidLit Drink Night and Heather and I were in completely agreement on this point: no teen marriages!!!! Stephenie Meyer, as most people know now, has “given away” that there is a wedding between Edward and Bella at the beginning of Breaking Dawn. I do have a real problem with this notion of teen marriage, especially since I’m not convinced that it’s not agenda-pushing by Meyer.

Ultimately, though, it doesn’t matter: I just want to read a good story.